The Prime Minister is expecting plenty of argy-bargy at Waitangi today when he visits Te Tii Marae for this year's Waitangi Day celebrations, Radio New Zealand reports.
Te Tii Marae Photo: RNZ
John Key will lead a large party of government ministers, MPs and officials on to the marae for an official welcome and he said he always received a robust reception at Te Tii Marae and it wasn't about to put him off.
“I've experienced everything from someone taking a swing at me outside the treaty grounds right through to be shouted off Te Tii Marae. There's always a range of different things that happen there,” he said.
Key said the Government was on good terms with local iwi and was trying to progress the Ngapuhi Treaty of Waitangi settlement.
Labour will walk onto Te Tii Marae at Waitangi today having taken back the far north seat of Tai Tokerau for the first time in nearly a decade.
Kelvin Davis won the seat in last September's general election from Mana's Hone Harawira and will led his Labour colleagues onto the marae.
Labour Party leader Andrew Little said the party was now the strongest voice for Maori in Parliament and that he could not recall a Waitangi Day when there hadn't been tension, but he didn't see any reason why it wouldn't be a positive experience this year.